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Born July 8, 1839, Richford, N.Y., U.S
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He was a U.S. industrialist and philanthropist. Rockefeller moved with his family to Cleveland, Ohio, in 1853
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1859 he established a commission business dealing in hay, grain, meats, and other goods.
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In 1863 he built an oil refinery that soon was the largest in the area
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With a few associates he incorporated Standard Oil Co. (Ohio) in 1870.
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He bought out competitors to soon control the oil-refinery business in Cleveland (1872) and in the U.S. (1882
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He placed the stock of the company and its affiliates in other states under control of a board of trustees, establishing the first major U.S. business trust company.
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In the 1890s he began to use his wealth to pursue acts of philanthropy
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He founded the University of Chicago in 1892, the Rockefeller Institute for Medical Research (later Rockefeller University)
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He donated over $500 million in his lifetime, and his philanthropy continued through donations by his son, John D. Rockefeller, Jr. (18741960), and other descendants.
